Automatic door closing and locking means



M r h 22 1927.

a c .1. B. M CUTCHEN AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING ANDIILOVCKING MEANS File'd Sept, 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheen I N V EN TOR. JAMES B. M CuTcHE/v ATTORNEY.

March 22,1927.

J. B. MCCUTCHEN AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING AND LOCKING MEANS Filed Sept. 5', 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet I in IN VEN TOR. L/A MES B. M Cure/151v A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES JAMES B. MCCUTCHEN, F BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING AND LOCKING MEANS.

Application filed September 3, 1924. Serial rim/735,558.

' is to provide a robber trapping device which may be applied. to the usual type of door in use in banks, counting houses, and other buildings.

Another object of the invention is to provide means operable at will to lock a door already closed and simultaneously sound an alarm.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically closing an open door, locking it, and simultaneously sounding an alarm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism or device which will lock a door already closed or if a door is open will cause the door first to close and then to be locked, both lockingoperations being accompanied by the sounding of an alarm.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the following drawings wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation showing one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section showing the details of the operating mechanism of my invention; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the invention; Fig. 4 is a section on line 44, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 55, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, I have shown doors at 10. These doors are indicated as arranged in a pair although it'will be understood that my in vention is clearly applicable to single doors. Each door 10 is illustrated as provided with a door closing device 11 which may be of the character in common use for closing doors;

Arranged above the doors 10 I show a casing 12 which may have an ornamental front portion 14 thereon. This front portion 14 is provided with hinges 14 and with a lock 14", as shown in Fig. 4. This casing is in dicated as provided with a spring pressed locking member 15. This locking member comprises two bolts 16 having a common shank 17 which is normally urged downward by means of a spring 18. Each door '10 is provided with a keeper 2Q'for the bolts .16.

The lower end of the bolts 16 each have a bevel 21 so that when the doors 10 are moved to closing position, the beveled portion will ride over the top of the door 10 compressing the spring. When the door is fully closed the bolts willbe moved to operative position by means of the spring 18.

A collar 25 is indicated asmounted upon the shank 17. This collar is shown'as engaged by a trigger 26 Which is normally urged to operative position by means of a spring 27 The trigger 26 may be mounted for movement between ball races 28.

The trigger 26 is shown as connected by .means of a cord or cable 30 with an operat ing lever 31 mounted in a receptacle 32. The cable 30 is preferably arranged within an ornamental moulding 33 as shown in Fig. 1.

' The operating lever 31 is mounted on a pivot 34 and is adapted to be rocked by means of a lever 35 pivotedas at 36 and having its end 37 pi-votally mounted upon the armature core 38 of an electro-magnet or solenoid 39. The electro-magnet is of the type where the core or armature extends entirely therethrough.

The lower end of the solenoid 39 is pivotally connected as at 40 with a lever 41 which in turn is pivoted at 42 within the casing. The lever 41 is provided with a flange 45 at its outer end with an inclined portion 46 adjacent the flange. The lever 41 with its flange 45 is so mounted that this flange will engage the face of the door andthus normally hold the door open. The tendency of the door closing device 11 is constantly to close the door. I The engagement of the shoulder 45 prevents this action.

Referring to Fig. 6 I show means for operating the lever 41 comprising a battery 50 having a lead 51 extending to a switch 52 whence the lead 53 extends to the solenoid 39 and through the lead 54 to the battery.

Operation of the solenoid will move the core upwardly thus lifting the lever 41 and releasing the door. At the same time the door is released the lever, 31 will be rocked thus pulling the cable 30 and moving the trigger 26 from engagement with the collar 25. Thisenables the bolts 16 to be pushed operated y a ry battery- In order to simultaneously sound an alarm at the same time the door is closed, I show the collar 25 as provided with an insulated circuit closer 60. This circuit closer is adapted to bridge the spaced terminals 61 which are insulated from the casing 14. One of the terminals 61 is connected by means of a lead 62 with the battery 50 while theother terminal is connected by a lead 63 with av bell 64 whence a lead 65 extends to the battery 50. It Will thus be apparent that when the bolts 16 move to operative position the electric bell 64 will be operated.

My device is also adapted for use with safety devices which includes panels as shown in Fig. 6. The panel contains a plurality of wires 71 and 72 which are part of a closed circuit to the battery 50. This closed circuit includes a solenoid 73. So long as current flows through the solenoid it will be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 6. When, however, through sur- I reptitious or other operation the circuit through the leads 717 2 is broken the pulling eliect of the solenoid 73 will cease and thecircuit closer 74 will be released so that it can move and thus bridge the terminals 75 shown in Fig. 6. One of the terminals 75 is connected by a lead 76- with the lead 53 while the other terminal 7 5 is connected by a lead 77 with the lead 51. It will thus be apparcut that when the circuit 71-72 is broken, as by a robber entering the building, the door latching mechanism will operate and the alarm 64 will sound.

In operating my device, the person who has observed the robber will close the switch 52 thus operating the solenoid 39. If the door is open the door will be released and will close gradually. At the same time the trigger will release the bolts so that when the door is completely shut it will be engaged and held by the bolts. If, however, the door is already closed the lever 41 will merely be raised up idly and the trigger 26 will be operated to lock the door. The bell will ring as the door is being locked and will continue to ring. v

In order that my device may be manually operated I show a construction in Fig. 3 including a casing 100 which is preferably similar in all respects to the casing 14 previously described. In order to operate the trigger mechanism 101 I show a cable 102 connected to a bell crank 103 which is adapted to be rocked by pulling a cable 104 provided with a hand gripping portion 105 and a foot pedal 106.

'The bell crank 103 is secured to a pivotally mounted lever 104 having a flange 105 for holding a door closed. A switch 106 which may be similar in all respects to the switch 6061 previously described, may serve to close the circuit to a bell 107 which may be From the description of the modification it will be apparent that when the banker or his employees desire to close the door or to lock it they may grasp the handle 105 or they may step on the pedal 106 to thus release the door if it is open and to lock it. If the door is closed it will be locked. After the device has been released, to reset it, the lock 14 will be released and the front portion 14 will be swung on the hinges 14 so that the locking member 15 and the associated parts will be exposed. The locking member 15 will then be moved to set position after which the trigger 26 will move to the position shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that my device will look a closed door and if the door is open will cause the door to be closed and then to be locked.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a door pivoted to swing about a vertical axis,

means to hold said door open, means to close said door when open, means to release said holding means, a latch. independent of said door holding means for holding said door closed, the operation of said releasing means serving to move said latch to operative position.

2. In a device of the class described, a door pivoted to swing about a vertical axis, latch means to hold said door against opening, said latch means being operable at will, means to close said door when open, means independent of said latch means to hold said door open, and electrically operated means for releasing said holding means and for operating said latch means regardless of whether the door is open or closed.

3. In a device of the class described, a hinged door, means to lock said door in closed position, said means including a slidable bolt, means for urging said bolt to 0 erative position, a trigger for holding sald bolt inoperative, a door holding member said member being independent of said bolt and a single means for causing actuation of said door holding member and said trigger.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing having a door hinged thereto, means to lock said door in closed position, said means includin a plunger, releasable means for holdin said plunger inoperative, an o erating cable for actuating said releasab e means, a lever on which said operating cable is secured, means to move said cable, a door holding member movable independently of said plunger, and means whereby said door holding member may be operated by said last mentioned means.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing having a pair of doors hinged thereto, means to lock said doors in closed position, said means including a plunger having a ,ea1,e47 a pair of spaced bolts thereon each of which is to rock said lever, said means comprisin a 25 adapted to engage one oi-said doors, a spring solenoid, a door holding member and a difor pressing said plunger to 0 erative posi tional means whereby said door holdin tion, a trigger engaging sai plunger for member may, be operated by said solenoi holding said plunger inoperative, means to to release the. door.

normallyhold sai with the plunger, an operating cable for said said' casing having a pair of doors hing trigger, a lever on which said operatingcable thereto, means to lock said doors in closed is secured, means to rock said lever to operposition, said means including a plungerate said cable, a door holdin member and having a pair of spaced bolts thereon each means whereby said door ho ding member of which is ada ted to engage one of said 35 may be operated by said first mentioned doors, a spring or pressing said plunger to means to release the door. i operative position, a trigger for holding said '6. In a, device of the class described, a p

unger inoperative, means to normall hold casing having a door hinged thereto, means said trigger operative, an operating ca le for to lock said door in closed position, said said trigger, a lever on which said operating 40 means including a lunger having a bolt cable is secured, means to rock said lever, thereon which is a apted to engage said said means comprlsing a solenoid, a door door, a spring for pressing said plunger to holding member and means whereby said operative position,-a trigger for-holding said door holding member may be operated by trigger in engagement 7. In a door actuating device, a casinegi 30 plunger inoperative, a spring normally urgsaid solenoid to release the door. 45

ing said trigger against said plunger, an In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailix my operating ca le for said trigger, a lever on signature,

which said operating cable 1s secured, means JAMES B..'MOOUTCHEN. 

